Nazareth woman tries to run man off Whitehall road, then crashes, police say

February 25, 2012|By Frank Warner and Scott Kraus, Of The Morning Call

A Nazareth woman was in Lehigh County Prison on Saturday after twice trying to run a Schnecksville man's car off the road in Whitehall on Friday night and, while police pursued her, crashing into a moving pickup truck and a parked SUV, police said.

Emmie E. Pilz, 27, of 112 E. Lawn Road was arraigned by District Judge Robert C. Halal on charges of fleeing police, recklessly endangering another person, reckless driving and related charges. She was sent to jail after failing to post $50,000 bail.

The confrontation began at 7:15 p.m. as a loud domestic argument in the parking lot of the Wawa store at 2985 MacArthur Road; then it moved to the back roads, police said.

Alerted to the dispute by Wawa patrons, a township officer separated the two at the convenience store, but as soon as the man drove away, the woman pulled out, chasing him across MacArthur Road onto Mechanicsville Road, police said.

After the woman first tried to run the man off Mechanicsville Road, she pulled over briefly for the pursuing officer, police said.

"She got out of the car and started yelling at the officer," Bealer said. "He said, 'Get back in your vehicle.' She did, and then she drove off again."

She allegedly again tried to run the man's car off Mechanicsville Road. The cars took a few back roads before they turned northwest onto Mauch Chunk Road and into North Whitehall Township.

"Approaching Willow Street, she went into the oncoming lane of traffic, entered the intersection on a red light, and struck a vehicle that was on Willow Street on a green light," Bealer said.

The woman's car went into the parking lot of the Willow Street Pub, where it hit the parked sport utility vehicle, he said.

"Then she puts the vehicle in reverse, drives away again, now missing a rear wheel," Bealer said. "She can't control the vehicle, so she runs into a yard and the car comes to rest between a porch and a telephone pole.

"I think it was a miracle she just leaned up against the pole and didn't crash into it."

The woman got out of the car and ran, but two Whitehall officers quickly caught up with her and placed her under arrest at 7:25 p.m., Bealer said.

The chase went about three miles.

The car the woman was driving was not hers, Bealer noted: It was a car that a coworker rented for her. She was also driving with a suspended license, according to court documents.

Whitehall police are investigating the chase and the alleged attempts to run the man off the road. State police at Bethlehem are investigating the final collisions at Mauch Chunk Road and Willow Street.